Searching for old book - need help identifying

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hello
Many years ago when i was a lad of nine or ten my grandfather gave me a book on bees to read (he probably bought it when he started keeping bees at the beginning of the war) for an 'adult' book it captivated me and I've wanted to keep bees ever since - thirty plus years on I'm at the cusp of obtaining my first bees.
Sadly that book was lost years ago and even though it may not be of that much instructional value I'd love to own a copy but can't remember much about it.
The book was soft cover (a sort of linen backed slightly glossy) and dark green in colour - i can't remember if the writing was black or gold but I'm fairly certain it was embossed.Not much to go on I know but a shot in the dark sometimes works. Any ideas?

 

[BKF Admin]

I have a copy of R.O.B Manley "beekeeping in britain"that is green with silver embossing.
I think it was a beekeeping bible in the uk years ago until Ted Hooper came along.

 

[rowbow]

Could it be the ABC and XYZ of bee culture AI and ER Root 1929.
John

 

[Poly Hive]

Root has always been brown but I stand to be corrected. The copies I have seen have all been that colour.

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Found it!

It's funny how the memory plays tricks - as soon as I saw the book I knew I had the right one - The practical Bee Guide J.G.Digges the one I had before was probably the ninth edition and it's red! (my other favourite read as a child was the countryman and that was green - maybe that was the connection) this one is in the same state as grandfathers (tatty and threatening to fall to bits) but at least i've traced it and will probably look for a better copy.
Now looking for a decent copy of Manley - outbid on one on fleabay last week (stupidly cast a bid a bit too low)

 

[oliver90owner]

Check out amazon. They are often cheaper on there!

 

[jakethedog]

The other good source of old bee books is abebooks but be sure to use the advanced search options so that you can weed out the print on demand stuff -if you want the real thing that is.

 

[Hivemaker.]

And.... Northern bee books,they also sell second hand.

They may have the Manley books.....
http://www.beedata.com/nbb/olderbeebooks.htm

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

It's funny how the memory plays tricks - as soon as I saw the book I knew I had the right one - The practical Bee Guide J.G.Digges the one I had before was probably the ninth edition and it's red! (my other favourite read as a child was the countryman and that was green - maybe that was the connection) this one is in the same state as grandfathers (tatty and threatening to fall to bits) but at least i've traced it and will probably look for a better copy.
Now looking for a decent copy of Manley - outbid on one on fleabay last week (stupidly cast a bid a bit too low)

Which of Manleys books are you looking for?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Beekeeping in Britain (first edition if possible) I've seen a few on bookfinder so might invest early in the new year the one on fleabay went for £15.50, outbid by 50p such is life. I do like my collection to be of originals to complement my shooting and fishing ones - bit anal really but there we are!

 

[jakethedog]

Beekeeping in Britain (first edition if possible) I've seen a few on bookfinder so might invest early in the new year the one on fleabay went for £15.50, outbid by 50p such is life. I do like my collection to be of originals to complement my shooting and fishing ones - bit anal really but there we are!

£15.50 is pretty cheap for this book -probably my favourite of the three. don't forget that there are a couple of UK companies which maintain very large stocks of secondhand and antiquarian beebooks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Which companies in particular?

 

[jakethedog]

Apart from Hivemaker's suggestion of NBB who have a large unlisted stock of secondhand books there is also C.Arden (bought out Karl Showler's stock) in Hay on Wye, Loe Books in Cornwall and John Kinross also in the depths of Hereford, all have very strong Bee catalogues.

 

[Poly Hive]

There are also a quite surprising number of booksellers in Wigtown. Overlooked often.

PH